Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-02
ing repetition of their misfortunes from
anfl

ing a repetition of their misfortunes from
another quarter.
The suit for injunction against the hy-
drauic mines on Feather river was brought
by Suffer county. and based on damages
claimed to have been done TO the County
Hospital and grounds, and which are
likely hereafter TO ensue, if hydraulic
mining is continued. This the people of
Plumas county fail to see is used only as
" a means to an end" They can see only
the means" and comparing the small
value of the hospital to the great present
and prospective value of their hydraulic
mines, they perceive in the DEGREES of a
Court which issues the injunctions making
their property almost valueless only an act
of injustice. The L" end" sought by the
people bringing the suits is, of course, in
addition to the protection of the County
Hospital, to prevent the filling up of the
river channels, whereby their navigability
is greatly impaired or entirely destroyed,
and the farming lands, the cities and
towns, and the happy homes of great
population located thereon are greatly en-
dangered.
The same lawlessness that has been re-
Gently reported from Plumas county exists
also to greater or less extent in the hy-
of the Yuba, Bear and American rivers.
The injunctions of the Courts, both State
and Federal, against hydraulic mining are
not obeyed, and every method is sought to
avoid their enforcement. Nothing except
the presence of parties whom they suspect
will inform on them prevents the owners or
lessees of many of the mines from operat-
ing them. On the Yuba river telephone
lines run in every direction, and these are
used to warn the miners of the approach of
parties suspected of being the agents of the
Anti-Debris Association. When these
watchers or spies go to any section, the
mines there are shut down, and at the
same time those located in other directions
resume operations. Boycotting and intim-
idation have been used in MANY instances
to compel the fearless men who have been
sent up into the mountains from the coun-
ties of 4uba and Suffer to leave the coun-
try. At Dutch Flat these men are refused
accommodations at the hotels, even when
travelling for the purpose of serving papers
issued by the United States Circuit Court.
The keepers OF the hotels are threatened
that their buildings will be burned if they
do keep them. And all this is by the few
lawless hydraulickers near there, who hope
by such measures to protect themselves
from detection and punishment.
After all the injunctions that have been
issued against the hydraulic mines on the
Yuba river; after all the expenditure of
money that has been made by Suffer and
4uba counties n litigation, still at Marysville
last week a test made by chemist shows
the Yuba river to be carrying three ifths of
one per cent. of sediment in suspension. or
for every 1000 cubic yards of water six
cubic yards of solid earthly matter are car
ried down stream. With this condition of
affairs continuing, it only requires another
season OF high water to raise the beds of the
streams at that point still higher, to still
further endanger life and property, and to
make necessary additional heavy expendi-
lures for protection.
An examination of the American river
shows it running nearly, if not quite, as
muddy to-day as before the Gold Run trial
And to say that hydraulic mining on the
kAmerican river has ceased, would be to saw
that.which is most absurdly untrue. Prob
ably to-day only one less mine is running
on the American river than would have
| been running had the Gold Run suit not
have been brought, and that is the Gold
Run mine. The water that was used there
is now probably being used where it is
effectual in washing down more debris than
would have been the case had the Gold
Run mine not been enjoined. People have
been surprised to hear of the recent lawless
acts of parties in Plumas county but at the
present moment very many times more
damage is resulting to the rivers and
| bays, the cities, towns and lands in the
Sacramento valley, from hydraulic mining
on the American river, than from that on
the Feather river above Marysvile.
| 1t has been asked Is there no remedy :?
Cannot the officers of the law enforce the
injunctions of the Courts? Cannot the
Governor send the militia if necessary. or
the U. S. Government its soldiers to see
that the laws are obeyed Probably they
might. But if they did, such action could
not give permanent relief. The hydraulic
miners would be as quiet as lambs during
the presence of such force, and as the mill
| tia or soldiers could not stay always, their
| influence would be effectual only SO long
as they remained. Upon their departure
| hydraulic mining would be resumed with
| the same results as before For myself l
can see but one remedy, and that is, when
an injunction is issued against the owners
of hydraulic mine, the Courts should
have the authority to order such mine en-
tirely dismantled for work by the hydraulic
process, the pipes taken up, the monitors
removed or destroyed and nothing left of
the plant necessary to work the
mine by this method. Then if the mine
were found again fitted up for such work
the owners could be severely punished for
contempt and the mine again dismantled
By this means the fear of the punishment,
together with the fear of the loss of the
amount paid for refitting the mine, would
be sufficient To prevent the violations of
the injunctions.
Why should all the apparatus essential
to the working of mine by the hydraulic
process be lett in position, ready for work,
q M oct mr. al
an infraction of the law, when the Courts
have ordered that it should not be used I?
Remove the means for such work remove
the temptation, and the injunctlons will be
obeyed. If the Courts have not the power
to order such removal, then it should be
given to them; for until it, or something
of a like character is done, the enforcing
of the orders of the Courts will continue
to be expensive and almost impossible.
l.. +. BAssETT.
Sacramento, April &c. 1887.